Emergency rail jointing unit



Feb. 12, 1935. J, R. LEWls 1,991,105

EMERGENCY RAIL JOINTATNG UNIT Filed April 7, 1933 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 D El [l Cl 1 3 im `/qllormey Feb. 12, 17935. J, R. LEMS 1,991,105

EMERGENCY RAIL JOINTING UNIT Filed April 7, 1933 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Inventor @270.06172 ZZOMZ'SV Bymorm Patented Feb. 12, 1935 UNITED STATES RAIL JOINTING UNIT James Russel Lewis, Brayton, Iowa.

EMERGENCY 'PATENT oI-FlcE Application April 7, 1933, Serial Nrn-664,982

1 claim.

ferred to as an emergency irail jointing unit.

The invention is intended for momentary installation in a track at the time new track rails are being laid, or old tracks repaired.

- It frequently happens that when installing a new rail section, said section is either too short or too long to make a proper joint with the adjacent fixedly-mounted rail-section. Hence at the time of approach of a train it becomes necessary to resort to make-shift patchwork in order to permit the train to pass. Frequently this requires needless and expensive time-consuming rail cutting and joint splicing operations. Needless to say, this is a laborious and expensive task.

Having experienced this unsatisfactory condition, I have discovered the need for the provision of an emergency rail jointing unit which may be temporarily installed to afford the requisite completeness of connection between the new and old rail sections in a dependable and satisfactory manner so as to allow the train to pass, after which the units may be removed and the installation of the new rail section properly completed.

In perfecting a device capable of accomplishing this `result in an eflicient manner, Iu have evolved and produced an exceptionally practical jointing unit which is susceptible of expeditious incorporation' in the track and subsequent expeditious removal, the same being characterized by the requisite features of simplicity, economy, and durability. a

Other features and advantages will become more readily apparent fromthe following description and drawings.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a top plan view showing a fragmentary portionl of a track with the extended lend portion of one of the new rail sections oset outwardly to one side, and the temporary or emergency rail-jointing unit in operative position.

Figure. 2 is a view somewhat similar to vFig- 1 ure 1 showingv the manner in which the improved jointing unit is associated with the end of the stationary or old rail section.

Figures 3 and 4 are sections taken Von the planes ofthe lines 3-3 and 4-4 respectively of Figure 1.

(Cl. 23S-171) Figure 5 is a detail cross-section on the line 5-5 of Figure 2.

Referring to the drawings, `and particularly to Figure 1, it will be observed that the conventional cross ties are differentiated by the numerals 6, the track on one side comprising the rail sections 7 being what may be designated as the already installed or complete track,

whether it be old or new. The track onthe other side is. shown to be under repair, and the fixed or old rail section is denoted by the numeral 8 and the new rail section is indicated at 9. It may be that at the time of the train approach, this section 9 which is being installed might be either too long to permit it to be jointed to the section 8 or it may be too short, leaving a gap. Under the circumstances. it is necessary to provide some means of connecting the two rails 8 and 9 together.

Under present-day arrangements, there are various make-shift methods resorted to. However, as a usual proposition where the rail 9 would b e too long, it would be necessary to cut it oif and complete the joint before the train could pass. Naturally, this consumes a great deal of time. This is the reason that I have evolved and produced thesimple temporary or emergency rail jointing unit 10. In some respects, this looks like an ordinary or conventional rail joint. By way of comparison, however, it will b observed that it is quite a different device indeed.

The unit l0 may be described as a one-piece casting of appropriate length and dimension. As shown in Figures 1 and 2, it embodies a tread or ball portion 1.1 and a web portion 13 which are intended to labut the corresponding portion of the stationary rail lsection 8 as shown in Figure 2. This ball and web are tapered on the outer side of the unit into feather-edge formation at the right-hand end as shown more satisfactorily in Figure 2.

Extending horizontally from the inner side of the unit 10 is an anchoring flange 16. 'I'his is gradually increased in width from the enlarged ball end 1l toward the feather-edged end, this being to increase the strengthqof the unit at the latter end and to compensate'for the otherwise fragile formation which would occur at ;,pgrary anchoring spikes 18. At the left-hand end, I provide a longitudinally extending aligning and retention finger or extension 19 (see Figure 2) which bears against the rail section 8 to facilitate expeditous placement of the unit 10 and proper alinement thereof with the rail section 8.

At the opposite end, and beyond the terminal of the tapered ball and web is a somewhat elongated reinforcing rib 20 which is shaped to nest nicely between the ball 15 and base flange of the new rail section 9 and abuts the web 14 of said section. On this same side and at longitudinally spaced points are spacing and stabilizing lugs 21 which are graduated in length proportionate to the increase in Athe thickness inthe web and ball portions 13 and 11 of said unit 10. 'I'hese lugs 21 are shaped and proportioned to snugly fit in between the base ange and ball of the rail section 9 as shown in Figure 3 in order to stabilize and reinforce the assembly and to aid in holding the free end portion of the rail 9 in an out-of-theway position at the' time of the temporary infstallation of the unit 10. Incidently, the terminal end of the rail 9 which is shown in Figure 1 as extending beyond the rail 8 is bent outwardly to this position by crowbars or suitable tools and temporarily spiked down and then by inserting the unit 10 and employing the bracing or stabilizing lugs 21 this distributes the stress and strain to a desired degree of uniformity and insures a dependable temporary jointing of the rails 8 and 9 to allow the train to pass.

It is understood, of course, that-the invention is predicated upon the provision of the special temporarily usable or emergency unit 10 in the form of a single casting equipped with its ball and web portion properly'co-operating 'with the corresponding portions of the two rails 8 and 9 and having the stabilizing lugs 21 on one side and the notched iange 16 on the other side to facilitate temporary anchorage and use. In this manner the rails are jointed or operatively coupled together in an expeditious and dependable manner and present-day disadvantages are entirely eliminated.

A careful consideration of the foregoing decription in` commotion with the illustrative drawings will enable the reader to obtain a clear understanding of the purpose, features and advantages, the explicit construction, and the invention as hereinafter claimed.

It is to be understood that minor changes in shape, size, relative proportions, and materials may be resorted to in practice without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as now claimed.

I claim:

An emergency rail for bridging the space between a positioned rail and an outwardly bent new rail comprising a web having a head on its upper edge and a single base flange extending inwardly from its lower edge, the outer side of said web and head being tapered from an intermediate part of the unit to one end thereof to provide a feathered end, said base flange extending beyond said feathered end and projections on the outer side of the unit gradually increasing in length from the feathered end to the other end, said projections engaging parts of the new rail, and a vertically arranged member on the extended end of the base ange for fitting between the head and base ange of the new rail, the lower part of the outer face of the web and the outer edge of the extended end portion of the base flange being recessed to receive portions of the base of the new rail and the projections having sloping bottom portions for engaging portions of the base of the new rail and the inner edge of the base ange having spike receiving notches therein.

JAMES RUSSEL LEWIS. 

